U.S. gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton arrested on DUI charge in West Virginia
Mary Lou Retton celebrates her balance beam score at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. (Lionel Cirroneau / Associated Press)
U.S. gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton faces a DUI charge after being arrested earlier this month in Marion County, W.Va.
According to Magistrate Court of Marion County records, Retton was arrested May 17 and charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs. She was released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $1,500, the court records show.
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Retton's attorney declined to comment on the matter when reached by The Times.
Born in Fairmont, W.Va., Retton, 57, rose to household-name status during the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, when she became the first U.S. gymnast to win Olympic gold in the all-around competition, edging Romania's Simona Pauca by five-tenths of a point.
Read more: Mary Lou Retton was 4 feet, 9 inches of muscle and grit, claiming the '84 Games as her own
Retton sealed the gold medal by earning perfect scores on her final two exercises, floor and vault, much to the delight of the crowd at Pauley Pavilion and millions of TV viewers around the country. During those Games, she won five medals, also including silvers for team all-around and vault, and bronzes for floor and uneven bars.
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On Oct. 10, 2023, Retton's daughter, McKenna Kelley, revealed that her mother had "a very rare form of pneumonia" and was "fighting for her life" in intensive care without being covered by medical insurance.
"She is not able to breathe on her own," Kelley wrote in the description of a fundraiser that has raised nearly $500,000 to help cover Retton's medical costs.
Read more: Mary Lou Retton explains why she couldn't afford health insurance during pneumonia scare
On Oct. 23, 2023, Kelley wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post that Retton was "HOME & in recovery mode.'
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Retton said she was "not great yet" when she spoke about her ordeal and ongoing recovery with NBC News' Hoda Kotb in January 2024.
'I don't know how long I'll indefinitely need the oxygen,' Retton said while gesturing toward her nasal tube, 'but you have no idea how blessed and how grateful I was for this holiday season.'
Read more: Jordan Chiles once thought she was 'ugly.' Now she's proud to be SI Swimsuit cover model
Retton also addressed why she didn't have health insurance at the time of her medical emergency.
'When COVID hit after my divorce, and all my preexisting — I mean, I've had over 30 operations, orthopedic stuff — I couldn't afford it,' she said.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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